Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 7

Devanagari script

स्वेच्छाचारी भवे देव वेदवेदाङ्गपारगः । त्रिकालज्ञो जगन्नाथ गीतज्ञोऽहं सदा भवे

Transliteration

svecchācārī bhave deva vedavedāṅgapāragaḥ | trikālajño jagannātha gītajño'haṃ sadā bhave

Translation

ഹേ ദേവാ, ഞാൻ സ്വേച്ഛാനുസാരമായി സഞ്ചരിക്കുന്നവനാകട്ടെ; വേദവും വേദാംഗങ്ങളും പാരംഗതനാകട്ടെ. ഹേ ജഗന്നാഥാ, ഞാൻ ത്രികാലജ്ഞനായി സദാ പവിത്രഗീതങ്ങളിൽ നിപുണനാകട്ടെ.

Word by Word

• स्वेच्छाचारी: one who acts by his own will
• स्वेच्छाचारी: Karta-samānādhikaraṇa (Subject complement/कर्तृसमाना)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्व + इच्छा + चारी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन — Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• भवे: may I be
• भवे: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Potential/Optative), उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन — Optative, 1st person, Singular

• देव: O Deva
• देव: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th), एकवचन — Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• वेदवेदाङ्गपारगः: versed in the Vedas and Vedāṅgas
• वेदवेदाङ्गपारगः: Karta-samānādhikaraṇa (Subject complement/कर्तृसमाना)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वेद + वेदाङ्ग + पारग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन — Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• त्रिकालज्ञः: knower of the three times
• त्रिकालज्ञः: Karta-samānādhikaraṇa (Subject complement/कर्तृसमाना)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: त्रि + काल + ज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन — Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• जगन्नाथ: O Lord of the world
• जगन्नाथ: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जगत् + नाथ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th), एकवचन — Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• गीतज्ञः: knower of songs/chanting
• गीतज्ञः: Karta-samānādhikaraṇa (Subject complement/कर्तृसमाना)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गीत + ज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन — Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन — Pronoun, Nominative, Singular

• सदा: always
• सदा: Kāla-adhikarana (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय — Adverb of time

• भवे: may I be
• भवे: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Potential/Optative), उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन — Optative, 1st person, Singular

Speaker

Nārada

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Īśvara (Śiva)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Nārada enumerates boons: freedom to roam, Vedic mastery, knowledge of past-present-future, and perpetual skill in sacred song; Śiva listens, approving.

Characters & Entities

• Nārada
• Śiva (Deva, Jagannātha)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Divine grace is sought to deepen knowledge, sacred expression, and spiritual agency—capacities used in service of dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Indirectly the Revā Khaṇḍa setting; the verse lists boons that arise from tapas done at the Revā-bank.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse is a boon-request emphasizing Vedic learning and sacred song.